Have you ever watched a movie with someone and had to hit the pause button just so they could grab popcorn or use the restroom or grab a warm blanket? I have — with my children. Whether we are watching Sofia the First or some other movie, we have never been able to sit through and watch without having to pause at least once.
More times than I can count, my girls have become overly excited to begin watching something and not even 5 minutes into it, I can see them constantly moving, trying not to be so noticeable and trying not to reveal to me that they need to use the restroom.
Sometimes my eldest pauses whatever she and her younger sister are watching… and she pauses without warning. So after a few minutes, my second daughter is wondering what happened (she’s figured it out by now). What my eldest neglected to do was warn her about the fact that she needed to go number two and would be taking a while. Lol!
You know, sometimes life is like that. We’re going and going — we’re accomplishing and completing and then suddenly without warning, we have to stop and pause. And sometimes the pause we’re experiencing in life is longer than expected. We can either enjoy it or dread it.
Many of us are on the same page. We all feel like this “pause” that’s been going on is taking a lot longer than expected. But what has helped me and my family is seeing the positives in what many may consider a negative situation.
QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF:
Could it be that God needed to pause our lives because we have just been so busy, being busy?
Could it be that God needed to pause our lives and help us refocus on what truly mattered in life?
Could it be that God needed to pause our lives to re-examine what and who we were worshipping?
These questions are just a few of the many that have come to my mind. And I can’t help but ask myself,
“Before this pandemic, was I too busy that I neglected to have meaningful, quality time with my Saviour?”
“Before this pandemic, was my focus on things that were temporal or eternal?”
Before this pandemic, was my worship for One Person or was it distributed amongst several persons and/or several things?
I can honestly say that before this pandemic, I did my best to spend quality time with Jesus. Yes, I may have had a few days I missed but I didn’t quit. I fell, but I didn’t stay down. And God’s grace is just so amazing! The times that I spent sitting at the feet of Jesus and meditating on His Word and promises definitely helped prepare me for COVID19. Although, we are not out of the woods yet, the pause that has happened all around the world has in some way or form — one way or another — realigned our focus.
A FEW SIMPLE TRUTHS TO ENCOURAGE YOU:
- God’s pauses are not pure rejections.
Sometimes, we forget that God can stop us and our plans for our lives and say no. He is not obligated to give us anything, yet He chooses to give us some things. Sometimes, when God rejects us or our ways, it is merely His way of saying, “Wait.”
Psalms 27:14 – Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.
Psalms 37:7-9 – Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. (Read More…)
Psalms 130:5 – I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
“God’s rejections are God’s protections.”
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- God’s pauses are not always permanent.
There are so many examples of people in the Bible who had to wait on the Lord. Even when they didn’t understand, they waited. Was it easy for them? Probably not. But during their waiting, God was working. Think about Abraham — God promised Him that his wife Sarah would bare a child, even in her old age. And we all know that a 90-year old woman giving birth is incomprehensible. But what seemed impossible to them, God made possible. During the time when Sarah’s life was “paused”, I believe God was preparing her for something big. And not long after, God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Whoa! That wasn’t part of our plans, God. That’s something Abraham must have thought to himself. God had to pause whatever plans Abraham had to test him — to see if He loved God more than He loved Isaac. But that pause ended when Abraham passed his test.
- God’s pauses are not always proof of His judgment.
My favorite Bible character is Job. The testimony he had in spite of all that God took away from him is inspiring! He lost his wealth, his health, and all his children. In addition, he had a wife who told him to curse God and die!!! Then, he had some so-called friends who tried to pry out of him what sinful thing he committed that God would judge him and take away everything from him. In reality, God wasn’t judging Job. God was putting him through a fire so that he could eventually come out as gold. And God even permitted the devil to tempt Job because He trusted Job so much.
“Sometimes, our lives will take some twists and turns. Sometimes, God will pause our lives and our plans, not to judge us but to purify us.”
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- God’s pauses are there to remind us of His presence and power.
Exodus 33:15 - And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
This is a verse that I often refer to because I understand the importance of having God’s presence, not just in dire situations but in every situation — in every part of my life.
“Without the Lord’s presence, I am powerless.”
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There will come a time when we will realize and acknowledge the importance of God’s presence. It could be that He may need to humble us — bring us to our lowest so He can lift us up. Because it is in our weakness that God can truly show Himself strong. Let us be like Moses, who said that if God’s presence wouldn’t go with him, for God not to allow them to go forward.
Isaiah 40:29 - "He giveth power to the faith; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."
Whatever pause God has placed upon your life today, don’t waste it! Use the pause to experience God’s presence and power and allow Him to purify you, removing anything that isn’t beneficial to your life and growth.
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